Digital News Report- State officials in Minnesota believe they may be on the verge of tracking down the cause of the latest salmonella outbreak, which has spanned 42 states and infected 399 people since September. King Nut peanut butter, which is primarily sold to nursing homes, hospitals and schools, has been pinpointed as the possible culprit. The product is not sold on grocery store shelves.

A product advisory has been issued for King Nut peanut butter after preliminary testing found the presence of salmonella in a 5-pound container. The health department released a statement saying, “the Minnesota cases have the same genetic fingerprint as the cases in a national outbreak that has sickened almost 400 people in 42 states.” More test results are expected to come next week to confirm the link to the peanut butter.

If this is confirmed to be the culprit, this will be the second time peanut butter has been responsible for a salmonella outbreak. In 2007 Peter Pan peanut butter was linked to over 600 cases of salmonella in 47 states. Establishments who use King Nut peanut butter have been advised to stop serving it.

Possible signs of being infected with Salmonella include diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps 12 to 72 hours after infection. The illness usually lasts 4 to 7 days. Though most people can recover on their own, over 70 people have needed to be hospitalized due to this outbreak. Infants, the elderly, and people with weak immune systems are particularly at risk.